A Boy's Best Friend

A Boy's Best Friend

3.02.2018

There is no better dog than Tyke for kids.  He puts up with so much!  Tyke remains patient and calm as Conrad steps on his tail, pulls on his paws, and gets in his face.  Tyke's only defenses are getting up to move across the room or licking the baby's face.  But Conrad genuinely loves him and I think the dog secretly appreciates the attention.

We all love our quiet good-natured black lab mix.  Tyke is just as much a part of the family as one of the boys.  In fact, Levi and Conrad have never known a day in their lives without Tyke!  It's been so fun to watch the boys' attachment to their dog.  However, I think Conrad shows it the most right now.  I caught Conrad feeding Tyke scraps from his dinner plate the other night.  Tyke knows the best spot in the house to get lucky is near the baby's seat in the kitchen and Conrad just thinks it's an entertaining hoot.  Then, on more than one occasion, Bron has brought the dog into the house with him after a day at work.  I watched as Conrad ran across the house.  I thought he was going to greet his dad.  No, he went straight to love on his dog!  Haha.  It was funny.  (All kidding aside, Conrad does love his dad.  Conrad wraps his tiny arms around Bron's neck for some of the most meaningful hugs.)  But the scene above, the one where Conrad plays with Tyke on the living room floor, happens so often that I just had to grab the camera the other day.  I think I caught some gems!   

I couldn't image a better dog for our family.  Tyke is a perfect relaxing fit to our loud chaos.  And he's more obedient than all three kids combined!  I did the math the other day.  Tyke will be seven years old soon.  That's 49 years old in dog years.  He probably won't be able to keep up on Bron's long and grueling training rides much longer, though I'm sure he'll continue to be a great trail dog for years to come.  He's a fast runner and always takes up the rear.  He's a natural protector and I love that about Tyke.  He's also happiest with us when we're outside.  It's a joy to watch our dog excitedly explore.  As a mother, I also don't know what I'd do without him!  Every time Conrad is finished with a meal, I call Tyke over to lick up the leftovers.  It feels less wasteful that way and makes cleaning up a hundred times easier.  (Yes, I still wipe everything down afterwards.)

Life with a family dog is good.  We love you, Tyke!    

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Squishy Kissy Cheeks and 14 Honest Answers from the Boys

Squishy Kissy Cheeks and 14 Honest Answers from the Boys

1.24.2016

Squishy cheek kisses.  It's how Levi gets away with kissing me on the lips in front of his dad.  Haha.  I cannot get enough!

One of my goals this year is to get in front of the camera more often (at least once a month!) with my kids, unflattering angles and all.  You've been warned.  I know we'll all appreciate these pictures one day because I was there too! 

  *****

I saw this little questionnaire floating around on the internet and thought I'd snag it to try for our family.  Jed and Levi had some very accurate and not-so-accurate answers.  See what's going on in their little heads about Mom!

1. What is something I always say to you?
Jed: No
Levi: What are you doing?

2. What makes me happy?
Jed: Flowers!
Levi: Getting flowers!

3. What makes me sad?
Jed: I don't know
Levi: I don't know

4. How do I make you laugh?
Jed: Giggling.  Tickling too.
Levi: With Tuesdays (???)

5. What was I like as a child?
Jed: A baby
Levi: A kid

6. How old is Mom?
Jed: 7
Levi: 28

7. How tall is Mom?
Jed: 3, 4, 5, I mean 6
Levi: 89

8. What is Mom's favorite thing to do?
Jed: Play with her kids
Levi: Do the dishwasher.  That's your favorite chore.

9. What do I do when you're not around?
Jed: Play with Levi
Levi: Go on dates with Dad.  I miss you a lot.

10. What am I really good at?
Jed: Art projects
Levi: Making lunchables

11. What am I not very good at?
Jed: Climbing trees
Levi: I don't know

12. What do I do for a job?
Jed: Take pictures
Levi: Clean up

13.What is my favorite food?
Jed: Pancakes
Levi: A shake

14. What do you enjoy doing with me?
Jed: Making art projects
Levi: Playing outside

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A Whole Handful: Five Years Old

A Whole Handful: Five Years Old

4.25.2015

Dear Jed,

You are turning five years old today!  I remember thinking shortly after you were born about the year 2015--about how I'd be turning thirty and you would be turning five.  And holy moly, here it is already!  Where does the time go?

The other night you had your dad and I reminiscing about the day you were born and telling you stories all about when you were a baby.  You just laughed and giggled.  In the thick of it, I thought those sticky toddler days would last forever.  And now I suddenly realize that those days have slipped through my fingers like sand.  I wish I could stay the hands of time.  You see, your fingers aren't so sticky anymore (you wash your hands all by yourself!) and the messes I clean up are fewer and further between (you can clean your room by yourself!).  You're growing up right before my eyes, Jed, becoming smarter and more independent by the minute.  And while that fact makes me a bit nostalgic and misty-eyed, I'm also very proud of the little boy you've become.

Jed, one of my favorite characteristics about you is how sweet and sensitive you are.  You are concerned about the feelings of those around you, often asking me if I'm sad or mad or happy.  You give the best hugs and pray for the sweetest things--like asking Heavenly Father to surprise Mommy with a new baby someday.  Oh, it makes my heart ache and swell simultaneously!  You cried when I told you that the baby inside my tummy died.  Big crocodile tears.  I scooped you into my lap and we talked about it together, ultimately deciding that there was still hope and that everything would be all right.  Jed, you have a big big heart with lots of big big feelings.  I pray you see that as a strength and not a weakness as you grow older because the world needs more men with caring hearts.  (Just like your dad.)

Happiness seems to seep from your pores. Jed, you make me laugh every day.  You are so silly and clever!  Oh boy, do you have a sense of humor.  You and Levi get to laughing so hard I think you might fall out of your chairs!  Lately, you've been going on and on about 'knock knock' jokes, making up your own on the fly.  "Chicken who?"  "Chicken broccoli!"  Hahahaha!  And "Shoe who?" "Shoe in the box!"  I don't get it, but I can't get enough of your smile.  You are my sunshine.  

I am so proud of you, Jed.  You are adventurous and brave.  Cautious by nature, you are willing to try to do things that you are scared to do.  For instance, last week as we were on a hike with some older friends, the boys began jumping from rock to rock over a small crevice.  You were nervous, but you wanted to jump it too--all by yourself.  And you did it!  Just last Thursday we surprised you by letting you pick out a brand new bike.  Not even five minutes at the park, you were thrilled that you could actually ride your bike on the grass before you went careening head first into a ditch with a foot of water.  You did your first endo!  I thought that would be the end of our time at the park, but you insisted on climbing back on your bike.  Excited and determined, you weren't going to let a little ol' crash get the best of you!  I hope you hang on to that tenacity because it will gain you many successes throughout your life.

One little letter cannot possibly sum up you, your personality, or your many strengths.   Honestly, words come up short in trying to describe how proud I am of you or how deeply I love you, Jed.  Instead, I hope you feel it.  I hope you intuitively know how unique and capable and special you are.  I hope your heart knows you are loved unconditionally. 

Happy 5th Birthday, Jed!  May all your little childhood wishes come true!

Love,
Mom

 5 Months Old: Cool Dude Jed

{Birthday Letter Archive Here}

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Two Wheels!

Two Wheels!

3.15.2015

We enjoyed a fabulous weekend around here that included a birthday party, bacon for breakfast, an afternoon mountain biking date, and performing in the Easter cantata, but none of that holds a candle to what Jed learned to do.

Jed can ride a bike!!!  A real bike.  One with just two wheels. 

Words cannot describe how ecstatic I am for Jed and this unforgettable milestone in his life.  In fact, I am so happy and proud of my son that I want to shout it from the rooftops... or at least excitedly drag my neighbors from their homes and make them watch Jed ride laps around the driveway.  Go, Jed! Go!   (We could totally use a cheer-leading team around here, right?)

Jed wore a perma-grin as he rode around with just enough balance to stay upright.  He is pretty proud of himself too.  As he should be!  He's actually been wanting his training wheels off for a while now.  Incredibly, Bron removed the training wheels Saturday afternoon and Jed just took off on his own in less than five minutes.  Both Bron and I are pleasantly surprised and impressed!

So now that Jed can ride a two wheeler--okay, so we still have lots of practice in front of us, learning how to turn and stop, etc.--but he's anxious to start mountain bike riding with Dad!  There are actually a few child friendly trails around here that we can introduce Jed to that will hopefully help him greet the sport with confidence.  I can't wait!  I didn't know that passing a love and enthusiasm for something like bike riding on to my son would feel so exciting. 

I love you, Jed.  I am so incredibly proud of you and the boy you are: sweet and thoughtful, inquisitive, adventurous, creative, and funny.  You make my heart full.

 ^^These pictures were taken on Tuesday this week.  He was a riding maniac with those rickety loved and destroyed training wheels that hovered several inches above the asphalt.  I actually think those little wheels helped Jed learn to balance gradually.^^

 

 ^^Giving Dad a high five!  Bron was on cloud nine just as much as Jed was!^^

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Our Valentine's Day

Our Valentine's Day

2.18.2015

^^My man children looking handsome in their Sunday best.  Yes, Levi chose the outfit with the green shirt.  He had a death grip on it at the store!^^

Happy Valentine's Day!  

We keep Valentine's pretty low-key around here, for a holiday.  I just want to show my family a little extra special love.  So on Valentine's Day, we busted out the hearts and annual big breakfast tradition.  This year we ate crepes with blackberries.  And the boys also got a surprise!  A heart shaped box filled with chocolates worth just a dollar.  (Bron got a giant Reese's heart!  And yes, Bron brought home a little surprise for me as well.)  Curls ate all his chocolates in four minutes flat.  I was proud of Jed; he had enough self-control to spread his treat throughout the weekend.

After breakfast we went to work making some special Valentine's to share with the boys' neighborhood friends: heart-shaped crayons!  The hardest part was peeling off all the sticky paper on our broken crayon pieces, but the rest of the project was a breeze.  (Basic directions found HERE.)  After naps, the boys proudly walked around the neighborhood with giant grins delivering their goodies and spreading some love.  

On Saturday night Bron and I went out on our big Valentine's Day date!  Actually, we probably would've gone out regardless.  It's been unseasonably warm here this February (My lilies are already poking their green fingers up in the yard!  Ummm, no.  Go back down you crazy plant!) so I suggested we check out the Blue Lakes Country Club and hit a few golf balls--since we're new members and all now.  The membership comes as a perk through Bron's job.  The thought makes me chuckle.  Us?  Country club members?!  Hahaha!  But I am totally thrilled about taking the little boys to the private lake and beach this summer, complete with a water slide.  It's going to be a riot.

So after checking out the golf course, Bron and I met some friends in town for all-you-can-eat sushi.  Yummm!  Then we moved the conversation to Fred Meyer's to walk off our full tummies before meeting another couple at Orange Leaf for some fro-yo dessert.  It felt good to laugh and eat so much!  (It's no secret the way to my heart is good food.)

Nearly eight years of marriage later, I am happy to declare that not only do Bron and I make a great team, but I am just as in love with that man as the day we got married.  (Yes, I sometimes look over and swoon!)  It's a perpetual effort to maintain this level of relationship, but it is so worth it.  I surprised myself; I didn't know this was possible so far into a marriage.  

An all-around great day with the boys I love most.  Happy Valentine's Day!   

^^Exploring the golf course located inside the Snake River Canyon on our date.  Beautiful!^^

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Christmas Morning {A Special Video!}

Christmas Morning {A Special Video!}

12.28.2014

This year Christmas morning couldn't have been more magical.  Playing the part of Santa's elves at midnight is so much fun.  I laid awake for almost an hour on Christmas morning just waiting for a tiny knock on the door!  Jed was sooo excited.  He and Levi were showered with all sorts of new toys.  The best part about little kids is that even the simple and cheap toys make their faces light up!  We enjoyed a slow leisurely morning opening presents and eating a rich breakfast of bacon and cinnamon rolls.  Yummm!  Then that evening found us at the Young's home across the street for a fancy feast that left us rolling in laughter while the kids ran around.  Perfection, if I may say so.  

On Christmas day, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with the abundance of love I feel for this little family and life of mine.  Everything I have is because of my Heavenly Father, and I have been blessed richly.  I am so grateful for this special season when we get to reflect on our Savior Jesus Christ, his birth and ministry.  And the opportunity I have to reflect on the last year, on what I've been given and how I can give back.  How can anything possibly be more magical or special than Christmas?!  I love, love, love it.   


I also love how this sweet video captures so well our Christmas morning, from little chocolate faces to bed heads to the boys' pajamas bottoms falling off their hips... and of course, the feelings of the happiest most magical morning of the year.  I hope you enjoy!  (I should mention, most of this video was shot BEFORE we opened the presents under the tree and the living room looked like an elf vomited Christmas spirit.)

And yes, a handful of pictures too...

^^The boys each received an Imaginext set from Santa.  Army men and Legos were also a big hit.  They haven't left their hot little hands since!^^

^^Danny Macaskill's Imaginate video explains these little bikes and riders perfectly.  It's one of the boys' favorite things to watch... and now to play with!^^

^^Bron's smiles as he realized he was getting a Garmin heart-rate and cadence monitor for his bike!^^

^^So funny, their little bums hanging out from their pajama bottoms.^^

^^I cried.  Yes, I seriously cried when I opened up my box from Bron.  He went above and beyond with a new hybrid camera bag/purse, a new blue camera strap, and an 85mm f/1.8 lens.  I couldn't believe it.  I am officially spoiled to the very core.^^

This year will definitely go down in memory as one of my all-time favorites.  

Merry Christmas Every One!

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My Heart Overflows... For Two Little Boys

My Heart Overflows... For Two Little Boys

10.20.2014

Tonight my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude.  It feels a bit odd to be feeling this way after such a looong weekend babysitting my neighbor's three children.  But maybe the tough just makes these precious moments all the sweeter.

Tonight...

::  I am grateful for this brief season in life when Jed and Levi are still so young and innocent.  My boys don't care about the latest trends or politics in the news.  They don't worry about mean kids at school because young kids are typically very accepting.  Instead, all they care about is feeling love from their dad and me.  It's so simple!

And in case you didn't know, the cool thing to do is to quote nursery rhymes.  Last night Levi ran squealing around the house, "You can't catch me!  I'm the gingerbread man."

::  I am grateful for two healthy and handsome little boys who wear mischievous smiles all day long.  They like to chase and be chased around the couch in the living room and their laughter fills this home with happiness.

::  I am grateful for words mispronounced.  "I want to ride my bike around the cocoa-sac," Levi declared.  (He meant the cul-de-sac.  I sure wish there was chocolate!) 

::  I'm grateful for those excited waves good-bye just before Jed climbs onto the bus.  And when he comes flying eagerly into my arms after school with news about his day, well, I think my heart just might explode with joy.

::  I'm grateful for wet smacks from tiny lips on my cheek.  "I need to give you a kiss, Mom!"  They both say that.

::  I'm grateful Jed and Levi fit under each arm as we read a bedtime story.

::  I'm grateful for Jed's silly sense of humor.  "You a dinosaur!  ...  You toothpaste!"  And then he giggles and giggles as if he's the most clever comedian that ever lived.  (I responded that he's the toothbrush to my toothpaste.  Hardy-har-har!)

::  I'm grateful for the blonde curls I get to run my fingers through as I sing Levi a lullaby each night.  He's getting too big for my lap, but I'm not ready to stop snuggling him. 

::  Finally, I am grateful to hear these words echoed back at me each night before I close their doors, "Good night!  Merry Christmas!  Sweet dreams, Mom!  Mmmuah!"   

Yes, it's been nearly a year. Every night Jed still wishes me a "Merry Christmas!" It won't last forever, so I stopped trying to correct him.

*******

I am so incredibly blessed to be Jed and Levi's mother.  My heart and soul never knew such happiness until they came into my life.  And to think, they are mine forever!  Life is good.        

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On Slooowing Down for the Sickies and Every Other Day Too

On Slooowing Down for the Sickies and Every Other Day Too

9.22.2014

It's late afternoon and I'm still in my pajamas.  Same story yesterday too: I didn't shower until after the boys had finally gone to bed.  And yet, I don't mind one bit.  I'm actually really enjoying this privilege I have as a stay-at-home-mama to cuddle and care for my little boys--especially when they need me most.

You see, yesterday both Jed and Levi caught a stomach bug.  Throwing up was quite traumatic for both of them.  Poor boys.  So while Jed took a four hour nap in his room, I simply held Levi on the couch in the den because all he wanted in the whole wide world was me...and his soft blue blanket.

It's hard for me to see these two feeling so yucky and lethargic, so out of character for them.  But curiously, on the flip side, this is when I love being needed.  I feel like I'm doing what I was made to do: to wipe away those crocodile tears, to bathe, to cuddle and to comfort.  When the two little people I love most are sick, I feel like it's okay to drop everything and take the day slooowly and as it comes.

So why oh why don't I feel like I can do this most other days when we're all well?  Why do I have a to-do list a mile long?  Why do I feel like I need to be in a hurry?  Why do I fill my few free minutes with a million things that just don't matter?  And why do I stress myself out because of it?

The truth is, the important things will get done.  And some things I may never get to!

All I know is that I need to put Jed and Levi at the top of my priority list every day.  And I try, I really try.  But I realize I need to slooow down and relax a bit more, to linger just a little bit longer with them under my arms as we read stories, to take the time to really listen to their silly stories, and to give them yet another goodnight kiss.  There is a time and a season for everything.  And right now, that season is dedicated to these two miniature sweethearts.

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Our Little Labor Day Weekend Getaway (aka Idaho Eye Candy)

Our Little Labor Day Weekend Getaway (aka Idaho Eye Candy)

9.03.2014

^^This is what photographers call a drive-by shooting: roll down the window and click!  Our drive through the Sawtooth Mountains was pretty spectacular.^^

Our Labor Day weekend encompassed the worst of the worst and the best of the best.  I have to be honest, Bron and I experienced the biggest upset in our seven years of marriage this weekend.  There were harsh words, lots of tears, and Jed reminding us from the back seat that, "We don't yell in the car!"  Haha.  Our feelings had been brewing over the last few months and it finally all exploded.  Fortunately, I married a man who believes in healing hugs, a clean slate, and fresh starts...because marriage is forever.  I am so grateful for that.  We have no idea how we're going to "fix" what went wrong, but we're both determined to do a little better, to be a little better for one another.  I'd like to believe that we'll figure it all out over the coming weeks. 

It's ironic that after a blow up like that, all we really want to do is shut the rest of the world out and just cling to one another.  And we totally would have dropped the boys off with a babysitter and taken off--just the two of us--if it hadn't happened to be a holiday weekend.  So we settled on a long peaceful drive up to Stanley, Idaho instead.

It was essentially a 2.5 hour drive for a picnic on Monday, but the scenery was eye candy.  Even the boys enjoyed the views from the back seat between bouts of antagonizing each other.  It was a really peaceful and relaxing day spent as a family.  We picked up donuts on our way out, ate a picnic lunch on Alturas Lake, and grabbed burgers in Hailey, Idaho on our way home.  It felt really good to just let the world and all its worries slide out of focus for a day...and hold my Honey's hand.  I think we'll head back up there again next year.

^^We stopped for a picnic lunch on Alturas Lake.  Pretty much perfection.^^

 ^^Rock throwing, of course!^^

Idaho, the more I see and explore, I can't help but fall more and more in love with you.  It's officially a love affair. 

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